How to part with 'things'?

[kt_luvs_kitties]

Haha. I am completely different. I throw out any and everything, and never feel bad for it. I just throw it out, then get something else in its place My husband likes to keep everything, even receipts from the taco bell we went to in 1998 Atm withdrawls from 2000. I hate it, so while he goes out of town, I start trashing stuff. When we moved from our Villa, to my parents house, he had 3 trash bags FULL to the brim with receipts. Drives me up the wall!!! And those 3 bags were downgraded from the 10 we had stored in our hallway closet
I love getting rid of old stuff, and once I toss it out, I NEVER miss it. Never really needed it in the first place. It only took up room, and was another thing to clean up

PS- I collect kitty figures, and I never ever ever toss them out, even when the tail falls off, I just glue it back, or leave it alone. That stuff I will keep forever, no matter how much space it takes up. I never have bought one for myself, because everyone close to me buys me them all the time. My mother buys me atleast one kitty figure, kitty bank, kitty carosel, kitty everything, atleast once a week. So going at this rate, I will have to buy a seperate house to keep them all, by the time I am forty

[slleipnir]

Wanna come help me then?

[wolfsoul]

I have the same problem. I HATE getting rid of things. You should see the junk I could have collected over the years if I finally didn't just get rid of it all.

I found that the best motivation for getting rid of it is to make money off of it. nd for the last three garage sales, I made more money than anyone else in my family lol. One time I made $40! Try flea markets -- they are some of the best places to get rid of things.

[BitsyNaceyDog]

I'm in the same boat. I have a box of stuffed animals in my closet from when I was little. The box hasn't been opened in years, but I can't get rid of them. CDs too, I have a ton of CDs that I haven't listened to in years, but I can't throw them out.

[dukedogsmom]

I am the queen of all clutterbugs. I have very slowly been trying to clean up and am making a little headway. My closets are such a mess that I can't use them as their original use. I've got empty boxes from things I have displayed. I don't want to put them in storage because they would ruin. I seem to collect lots of stuff. Beanie babies everywhere. I love them! They must have a spell put on them to buy them because that's what I do. Mail is a big problem also. I let it pile up everywhere. I don't have a filing system so I never put it up. Ugh. I hate cleaning, too, which doesn't help a whole lot. Maybe we need to come to each other's houses to make decisions for us

[4 Dog Mother]

As many of you know, we thought we were moving to Florida this summer, so we (I) began to go through the many, many boxes of stuff we had. It hasn't been easy but we threw lots out, donated some to the Salvation Army, and old toys to a neighbor who babysits. That might help some of you, if you "pretend" you are going to be moving and can't take it all with you. I pitched old magazines that I would SOMEDAY get around to reading, donated outgrown clothes (and yet there is always more).

I have also watched Clean Sweep alot to see how they do things. I collected books by my favorite authors and yet I rarely re-read a book. So I have and still am (as I have a HUGE collection of books) going through books - fortunately I know of two used book stores that will give me credit to buy other books but I make sure it is a rotating and take back the new books as soon as I read them.

One of the ideas they use on Clean Sweep is everytime you buy a new piece of clothing, take a piece out of your closet. I also think if you try to do too much at a time it becomes overwhelming. Tackle your clothing one day, your knickknacks another day etc. Also another thing I have done is gone through the closets once and gotten rid of the things I knew right away I could give up and then a few days or weeks later went back again to look over what I kept and what I now could give away.

Mail is a huge problem I think for everyone. What they say on Clean Sweep is through junk mail away right away. Keep a basket to put bills in and things that need to be taken care of right away and put those items in the minute they come in so they don't get lost in the "other' stuff. And then try to go through the rest at least once a week.

I still have a long way to go - I do crafts and am always starting projects and then have "left over" stuff and can't just give it away as someday I may want to make more. I, too have several boxes of stuffed animals and Beanie Babies.

[Karen]

Those stuffed animals that you don't want to throw away? Give 'em a bath, stitch up any holes, then donate them in nice clean condition to a children's hospital so that children facing painful or difficult hospital stays have someone to cuddle. Don't you think those stuffies will feel better comforting someone than stashed away in a closet?

By the way, I do still have my very first teddy bear - he looks loved, but he was made by my Aunt Dottie, and is unique and was made just for me. But other stuffies have gone to children's homes, and nursing homes, and to the church nursery - all places where they will get more love than my dust allergy and time will allow me to give them.

[Twisterdog]

Ahhhh, I'm the master of getting rid of junk. I do it all the time. Unfortunately, I buy more stuff to replace the junk ... and in a year or two the "stuff" has become "junk" and I repeat the cycle. Sad.

I donate everything to charity. I feel better knowing my shopping problem is helping someone, at least. Also, I KNOW, if I wait to try to sell it on Ebay, or wait to have a yard sale, etc .... I'll just end up keeping it.

I put it in a bag and IMMEDIATELY take it to the car. Then I IMMEDIATELY drive across town and drop all my junk off at Goodwill. If I wait, I'll change my mind.

Some good things to ask yourself about an item you are not sure about: Does this have special meaning to me, for example, a gift from a loved one or a family heirloom. If not, get rid of it. Also ... would I buy this again, if I saw it in the store tomorrow? If the answer isn't "YES!", get rid of it!

[cloverfdx]

I have the same problem Audrey . I am going to try and tackle my room later, i started last night and then got side tracked when i found stuff i had not seen for 6 months lol. And all my old stuffies are in the garden shed, i realy should rehome them.

[Barbara]

I know that problem. Especially with paper stuff, a postcard I had on my desk 20 years ago, some favorite clothes. I allow myself to keep some of these things.

If I start to clean up- like going through my clothes I can come into a real frenzy of throwing away or donating. The first pieces you still think and ponder - but then........

In clothes I usually give it away if I have not worn it the last season. Probability I will wear it next summer is very low then.

[Logan]

I think my husband and I might win the award for clutter. After combining two households and continuing on with life, we have not made the time to truly clean out and clean up. We've made some attempts and have carted away a lot of stuff, either as trash or good stuff to Goodwill, but we have a long, long way to go.

Have you heard of www.freecycle.com? There is a group in our area, and I have started using it to rid us of some extra "stuff". I have given away an old basketball goal, a computer monitor, a printer, a computer keyboard, two wheelbarrows that had flat tires, and several other things. At least someone is getting it that needs it and will use it, rather than them collecting dust in my garage or worse yet, being thrown in the trash. I have been amazed at what some people freecycle!

Good luck!

Logan

[Logan]

There's also a website called www.flylady.net . Now, if I could get disciplined and follow her advice, my house would be a showplace! I'm trying, but so far, I'm not as far along as I should be, but my kitchen sink is clean!